Business Rates are collected by all Councils and are paid into a central government pool.  This money is then redistributed to local councils according to the population in each area.

 

Under normal circumstances the person occupying or entitled to occupy a property is the person who is liable to pay the rates.

 

Contact the Rates Office or use the online form.

 

You can check the rateable value of any property on-line at http://www.voa.gov.uk/

 

Contact your local Valuation Office at

2nd Floor, Wellington House, Delamere Street, Crewe, CW1 2LQ.  Telephone 01270 452100

or on-line at http://www.voa.gov.uk/

 

Rates payable are calculated by multiplying the Rateable Value of your property by the National Non-Domestic Rating Multiplier.  However your bill may be subject to a Transtional Adjustment.  You can contact the Rates Office for details of rates payable.

 

The rules regarding empty property rate change on the 1st April 2008.  From that date for the first 3 months that a property is empty there are no Business Rates due.  This is extended to six months in the case of cetain industrial properties.  After this period, rates are payable in full.  However, there are a number of exemptions from the empty property rate.  Contact the Rates Office for information about your property.

 

Section 44a of the Local Government Finance Act gives councils discretion to award relief if part of a property, that is included in the rating assessment, is temporarily not being used.  Applications must be made in writing to the Rates Office.

 

Yes see information on Small Business Rate Relief.

 

Have a look at the Rate Relief section and see if your business falls into any of the categories to which we can award rate relief.

The Borough Council has discretion to award Hardship Relief where a ratepayer is suffering from financial hardship.  The authority must have regard for the interest of Council Tax payers within the Borough when consdering applications.  Applications must be made in writing to the Rates Office.

 

Non Domestic Rates is payable by monthly instalments (normally 10 for a full year).  You have received a reminder because according to the Council's records you have not made the monthly payment in accordance with the instalments as indicated on your latest Non Domestic Rates demand. 

 

You do not have until March to pay your Non Domestic Rates bill. By law, Non Domestic Rates is payable by monthly instalments, normally April to January. Because you have not paid your instalments on time and you have not complied with the request on the reminder and/or final notice you have been sent you have lost the right to pay this years Non Domestic Rates monthly. The full balance of Non Domestic Rates as shown on the summons is therefore due and payable before the hearing date as detailed.

 

The Council have incurred additional expense in preparing and issuing a summons for non-payment. The costs charged (which have been agreed with the local Magistrates Court) cover those expenses and also the expense of laying the complaint and the cost of the hearing. Both the reminder and the final notice detailed that costs could be incurred to your account if the required payments were not made.

 

If you do not pay the amount due including the costs, or contact the Council, then the case will be dealt with in your absence and the Court will issue a Liability Order which will incur further costs.  This order allows the Council to collect the outstanding Non Domestic Rates by various methods, which can include the use of bailiffs or insolvency proceedings being instigated against an individual or company.  These methods will not be used if a suitable payment schedule is arranged with the Recovery Section, and the agreed payments are maintained.  However, making an arrangement will not prevent the Liability Order being granted or the extra costs being incurred.    

You only need to appear if you have a valid defence to put to the Magistrates as to why you consider you are not liable. It is easier to sort out any relevant matters before the hearing by contacting the Recovery Section. If you still wish to attend at the Court you should contact the Recovery Section direct stating the reason why you wish to attend. An appeal raised with the Valuation Office is not a valid defence.

 

The issue of a Liability Order by the Magistrates Court in no way blacklists you or the property.